AIPlateChecker← Check a car

MOT minor defect explained

“Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated but preventing the ingress of dirt”

Recorded on 546 of the 25,257 cars checked on this site. Every time it was recorded as a minor defect.

Seen this on a car? Check it free

Every MOT test, every advisory, the mileage record and a condition score, in seconds. No sign-up.

Buying it? The full history report adds finance, write-off, stolen and keeper checks.

Cars with it
546
of 25,257 checked
Share of cars
2.2%
at least once
Recorded as
Minor defect
100% of 708 visits
Back next time
23%
of 532 follow-up visits

What it means

A rubber dust cover seals the ball joint in each track rod end. This entry means the cover was damaged or perished but was still keeping dirt out at the time of the test.

It is a minor defect, which does not fail the car by itself. Once the cover is missing or no longer keeps dirt out, the entry is recorded as a major defect.

How it shows up in the records

Minor defect 100%
23% came back
The same entry, on the same part of the car, was recorded again at the next test in 23% of cases.
51,549 miles
Median recorded mileage when it first appeared, on cars a median of 8 years old. From the 171 cars whose whole MOT history is recent enough to compare.

Share of cars with this entry, by year of manufacture

0.0%1971–731.2%1980–820.0%1983–850.9%1986–882.1%1989–911.7%1992–941.6%1995–972.3%1998–004.3%2001–033.1%2004–064.0%2007–093.8%2010–123.3%2013–151.8%2016–180.7%2019–210.1%2022–24

Models where it is recorded most

ModelCars with itShareSame-age cars
Vauxhall Corsa55 of 36415%2.3%
Volkswagen Polo36 of 26014%2.6%
Honda Civic28 of 27810%2.4%
Toyota Auris14 of 1439.8%3.0%
Honda Jazz47 of 4989.4%2.8%
Nissan Qashqai28 of 3448.1%1.8%
Audi A18 of 1326.1%2.0%
Kia Picanto6 of 1006.0%2.1%

Models with 20 or more cars checked here. “Same-age cars” is the share among all checked cars built in the same years, so an older model is compared with older cars.

What to check before you buy

  • Ask whether the track rod end has been replaced since the test, and whether the tracking was reset afterwards.
  • Read the later MOT tests for the same corner.
  • Look at the front tyres for uneven wear across the tread.

Cars checked here with this entry

Other steering entries explained

Track rod end ball joint has excessive playPlay in steering rack jointTrack rod end ball joint has slight play

Checking a car with this on its MOT?

Repair costs depend on the car, so this page does not quote one. Enter the plate and the free report estimates them for that car, alongside every test and advisory on its record.

Check a car’s MOT history

Counts are of cars checked on this site, from official public records. Updated 22 Sept 2026 · figures as of 4 Oct 2026. All MOT entries explained.